Alexey Alexandrovitch had gained a brilliant victory at the

sitting of the Commission of the 17th of August, but in the

sequel this victory cut the ground from under his feet. The new

commission for the inquiry into the condition of the native

tribes in all its branches had been formed and despatched to its

destination with an unusual speed and energy inspired by Alexey

Alexandrovitch. Within three months a report was presented. The

condition of the native tribes was investigated in its political,

administrative, economic, ethnographic, material, and religious

aspects. To all these questions there were answers admirably

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stated, and answers admitting no shade of doubt, since they were

not a product of human thought, always liable to error, but were

all the product of official activity. The answers were all based

on official data furnished by governors and heads of churches,

and founded on the reports of district magistrates and

ecclesiastical superintendents, founded in their turn on the

reports of parochial overseers and parish priests; and so all of

these answers were unhesitating and certain. All such questions

as, for instance, of the cause of failure of crops, of the

adherence of certain tribes to their ancient beliefs, etc.--

questions which, but for the convenient intervention of the

official machine, are not, and cannot be solved for ages--

received full, unhesitating solution. And this solution was in

favor of Alexey Alexandrovitch's contention. But Stremov, who

had felt stung to the quick at the last sitting, had, on the

reception of the commission's report, resorted to tactics which

Alexey Alexandrovitch had not anticipated. Stremov, carrying

with him several members, went over to Alexey Alexandrovitch's

side, and not contenting himself with warmly defending the

measure proposed by Karenin, proposed other more extreme measures

in the same direction. These measures, still further exaggerated

in opposition to what was Alexey Alexandrovitch's fundamental

idea, were passed by the commission, and then the aim of

Stremov's tactics became apparent. Carried to an extreme, the

measures seemed at once to be so absurd that the highest

authorities, and public opinion, and intellectual ladies, and the

newspapers, all at the same time fell foul of them, expressing

their indignation both with the measures and their nominal

father, Alexey Alexandrovitch. Stremov drew back, affecting to

have blindly followed Karenin, and to be astounded and distressed

at what had been done. This meant the defeat of Alexey

Alexandrovitch. But in spite of failing health, in spite of his

domestic griefs, he did not give in. There was a split in the

commission. Some members, with Stremov at their head, justified

their mistake on the ground that they had put faith in the

commission of revision, instituted by Alexey Alexandrovitch, and

maintained that the report of the commission was rubbish, and

simply so much waste paper. Alexey Alexandrovitch, with a

following of those who saw the danger of so revolutionary an

attitude to official documents, persisted in upholding the

statements obtained by the revising commission. In consequence

of this, in the higher spheres, and even in society, all was

chaos, and although everyone was interested, no one could tell

whether the native tribes really were becoming impoverished and

ruined, or whether they were in a flourishing condition. The

position of Alexey Alexandrovitch, owing to this, and partly

owing to the contempt lavished on him for his wife's infidelity,

became very precarious. And in this position he took an

important resolution. To the astonishment of the commission, he

announced that he should ask permission to go himself to

investigate the question on the spot. And having obtained

permission, Alexey Alexandrovitch prepared to set off to these

remote provinces.

Alexey Alexandrovitch's departure made a great sensation, the

more so as just before he started he officially returned the

posting-fares allowed him for twelve horses, to drive to his

destination.

"I think it very noble," Betsy said about this to the Princess

Myakaya. "Why take money for posting-horses when everyone knows

that there are railways everywhere now?"

But Princess Myakaya did not agree, and the Princess Tverskaya's

opinion annoyed her indeed.

"It's all very well for you to talk," said she, "when you have I

don't know how many millions; but I am very glad when my husband

goes on a revising tour in the summer. It's very good for him

and pleasant traveling about, and it's a settled arrangement for

me to keep a carriage and coachman on the money."

On his way to the remote provinces Alexey Alexandrovitch stopped

for three days at Moscow.

The day after his arrival he was driving back from calling on the

governor-general. At the crossroads by Gazetoy Place, where

there are always crowds of carriages and sledges, Alexey

Alexandrovitch suddenly heard his name called out in such a loud

and cheerful voice that he could not help looking round. At the

corner of the pavement, in a short, stylish overcoat and a

low-crowned fashionable hat, jauntily askew, with a smile that

showed a gleam of white teeth and red lips, stood Stepan

Arkadyevitch, radiant, young, and beaming. He called him

vigorously and urgently, and insisted on his stopping. He had

one arm on the window of a carriage that was stopping at the

corner, and out of the window were thrust the heads of a lady in

a velvet hat, and two children. Stepan Arkadyevitch was smiling

and beckoning to his brother-in-law. The lady smiled a kindly

smile too, and she too waved her hand to Alexey Alexandrovitch.

It was Dolly with her children.

Alexey Alexandrovitch did not want to see anyone in Moscow, and

least of all his wife's brother. He raised his hat and would

have driven on, but Stepan Arkadyevitch told his coachman to

stop, and ran across the snow to him.

"Well, what a shame not to have let us know! Been here long? I

was at Dussot's yesterday and saw 'Karenin' on the visitors'

list, but it never entered my head that it was you," said Stepan

Arkadyevitch, sticking his head in at the window of the carriage,

"or I should have looked you up. I am glad to see you!" he

said, knocking one foot against the other to shake the snow off.

"What a shame of you not to let us know!" he repeated.

"I had no time; I am very busy," Alexey Alexandrovitch responded

dryly.

"Come to my wife, she does so want to see you."

Alexey Alexandrovitch unfolded the rug in which his frozen feet

were wrapped, and getting out of his carriage made his way over

the snow to Darya Alexandrovna.

"Why, Alexey Alexandrovitch, what are you cutting us like this

for?" said Dolly, smiling.

"I was very busy. Delighted to see you!" he said in a tone

clearly indicating that he was annoyed by it. "How are you?"

"Tell me, how is my darling Anna?"

Alexey Alexandrovitch mumbled something and would have gone on.

But Stepan Arkadyevitch stopped him.

"I tell you what we'll do tomorrow. Dolly, ask him to dinner.

We'll ask Koznishev and Pestsov, so as to entertain him with our

Moscow celebrities."

"Yes, please, do come," said Dolly; "we will expect you at five,

or six o'clock, if you like. How is my darling Anna? How

long..."

"She is quite well," Alexey Alexandrovitch mumbled, frowning.

"Delighted!" and he moved away towards his carriage.

"You will come?" Dolly called after him.

Alexey Alexandrovitch said something which Dolly could not catch

in the noise of the moving carriages.

"I shall come round tomorrow!" Stepan Arkadyevitch shouted to

him.

Alexey Alexandrovitch got into his carriage, and buried himself

in it so as neither to see nor be seen.

"Queer fish!" said Stepan Arkadyevitch to his wife, and glancing

at his watch, he made a motion of his hand before his face,

indicating a caress to his wife and children, and walked jauntily

along the pavement.

"Stiva! Stiva!" Dolly called, reddening.

He turned round.

"I must get coats, you know, for Grisha and Tanya. Give me the

money."

"Never mind; you tell them I'll pay the bill!" and he vanished,

nodding genially to an acquaintance who drove by.




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